On A Liter of Blood

Somewhere in this city, a man lays in a hospital bed, weak and frail, fighting the tumor that had invaded his liver, with every last bit of power he has left. It isn’t the first time, he has almost mastered the rules of this battle, yet this time it felt different. He was weaker.

He had a rare type of blood type, they told him, the men in green and white coats, moving like automated ghosts in and out of his room. He’d have to wait and hope the blood banks fill up to begin therapy, they said.

This man has a daughter, his daughter is my friend. A friend that rarely, if ever, asks for help.

Please post for A negative, the message on my phone screams to me. And I began my search. I posted and shared and reposted and shared searching for that A-, as if was liquid gold. Some people clicked “like.” Many more shared. Others kindly offered other blood types.

But for the liquid gold, there was nothing but silence.

Until I found a message in the “requests” folder. One woman was offering us her blood, thanks to a share from one of my friends. By that time we’d been at this for over six hours and I had to look twice to make sure that she was A negative, and even when I was sure, I was afraid she would flake. She was a stranger, after all.

They say social media has estranged us from one another, depleted the word “friend” of its meaning. The world is turning into a cold, meaningless place where online relationships replace face to face conversation, touch, laughter. And maybe that’s true.

But this cold, meaningless world turned warm and nurturing, if even for a few moments today, when it saved a life.

A stranger, as far removed from his daughter and I as can be, sat in the waiting room of a public hospital, her life and responsibilities on hold, to save the life of that man laying in that hospital bed, and fulfilled the greatest responsibility of humankind; kindness to their fellow man.

Never underestimate the power of friendship, and never give up on the random kindness of strangers. It’s all we have, we keep eachother alive.

I wish you and yours invincible strength, Dimitra Capas.